Cellist Si-Yan Darren Li made his professional debut at the age of 9 and has since gone on to an international career as a recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has appeared in solo and chamber music performances at prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, 92nd Street Y, Kennedy Center as well as Verbier Festival, Ravinia Festival and Sun Valley Music Festival. An active chamber musician, he has collaborated with such esteemed artists as Emanuel Ax, Leon Fleisher, Miriam Fried, Lang Lang, Thomas Quasthoff and members of the Emerson, Takács, Juilliard, Cleveland, Orion, Casals, and Ébène quartets. As a dedicated pedagogue, his students have won top prizes in major international competitions, including Banff, Bordeaux, Melbourne and Wigmore Hall international string quartet competitions. Nationally, his student ensembles have won Fischoff, Coltman and Glass City chamber music competitions.
Li holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He is a prizewinner in numerous prestigious competitions, including the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow and the YCA International Auditions in New York. Li joined the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2017 and currently serves as Associate Dean of Ensembles and Chamber Music Program Director. He plays a 1773 cello by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, generously on loan from the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rin Kei Mei.